A Twist Through Time
by turnthepage21
Summary: During an accident at the Department of Mystery, Hermione is catapulted into the Maurader's Era, where she befriends none other than young Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter. Finding there is no way to return to her own time, can Hermione change things for the better? And what happens when she falls in love with one of the Mauraders?
1. Prologue

_Hello everyone! I'm back! And it is so nice to be back, hahaha._

 _I apologize for my long absence. Life got a little crazy and I just needed to take a break from writing. However, my creative juice recently got flowing again and I am happy to say that I now have two other stories that I've started, making 3 grand total._

 _If you've not checked out my first fic, "Dreams and Revelations," it's a Fremione fic and I would really like it if you could check it out. I'm about to put up the next chapter, as soon as I'm done editing._

 _I've also got a Sirimione fic in the works, but I don't have a title for that one yet, so hold tight, you should see it pop up on my profile soon. :)_

 _And lastly, this fic, "A Twist Through Time." I know - super original. :P I just finished the prologue and I think the title fits with what I have in mind so far._

 _So, without further ado, the Prologue! Please please please tell me what you think of it, I always love hearing what you lovelies have to say. :)_

 **Prologue**

Hermione Granger was a simple and ambitious girl who always knew right from wrong. From a young age, she knew she was different, preferring reading to playing outside, and she always tried to prove herself. When her letter arrived from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, accompanied by Professor Minerva McGonagall, her life finally started to make sense. She understood why it was so difficult to make friends and why she was introverted.

Her first visit to Diagon Alley was magical; there was no other word for it. The war a feeling that filled her as her wand chose her made her smile brightly at her parents and Professor McGonagall, who had escorted the Grangers to the small wizarding community. At Flourish and Blotts, Hermione picked up as many books as she could, determined to be just as prepared as her peers, who grew up in the magical world.

It slightly surprised her parents when she was sorted in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw, but Professor McGonagall saw her potential to be a credit to her house. Before long, Hermione had befriended Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and faced trials not seen since Tom Riddle's tenure as a student.

Their first year saw the three friends battle a troll, help a baby dragon escape, and get past a three-headed dog and multiple other tests to protect the Philosopher's Stone. In second year, the boys flew to school in a car (after missing the Hogwarts Express), brewed a Polyjuice potion (which turned Hermione into a human-cat hybrid) and Harry even lost the bones in his arm after a foul bludger crushed them. Then, Hermione was petrified and the boys were lost without her. Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and Harry slayed the Basilisk.

Their third year was much calmer than the first two, even if there was someone out to murder Harry. The trio later discovered that Sirius Black did not betray the Potters, Peter Pettigrew was Scabbers, and Professor Lupin was a werewolf. But Harry finally found his godfather and everything seemed to be looking up.

Fourth year dashed those hopes. The Tri-Wizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts, bringing Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to Scotland. By the end, Cedric Diggory was killed and Voldemort had returned. The war finally became real, but the Ministry of Magic denied everything. They attempted to frame Harry and expel him from school and when that did not work, they sent Dolores Umbridge to Hogwarts to control the students. They did not expect three Gryffindors to silently fight back and create a Defense group with members of all houses.

But that too was taken away and O. were suddenly upon them. The fifth years were too focused on ensuring they could pass the exams rather than overthrowing their horrendous new Headmistress. They lost two teachers during the exams and Harry collapsed during the last one saying he had a vision. It was a vision that found Hermione breaking into the Ministry with her best friends to free Sirius. That's when everything went wrong. It was a trap and soon the group split up as they tried to escape the Death Eaters. Hermione, Harry and Neville holed themselves up in a room that Hermione immediately recognized.

"Be very careful in this here. This is the Time Room," she whispered to the boys as they tried to find a different way out.

"What's the Time Room?" Harry asked, carefully clutching the prophecy closer to his chest, as though it were in immediate danger.

"It's the room where the Unspeakables study time and create Time-Turners." Hermione pointed to the wall directly behind her, displaying several rows of the small golden necklaces.

Before Harry could respond, shouting could be heard from the other side of the door. The three friends quickly dived under desks to hide, hoping the Death Eaters would just assume the room was empty.

Of course, they had no such luck. "Check under the desks," one of the men said to the other and the trio started to hear scuffling as the furniture was moved.

Harry and Hermione locked eyes at the same time and held a silent conversation. As one, they stepped out from under the desk, both shooting silencers at the two men. Hermione recognized one of them from the Daily Prophet, Antonin Dolohov. He was one of the Death Eaters to escape Azkaban with Bellatrix Lestrange. The two quickly began to duel, but Hermione was mostly on the defensive, throwing up shield after shield, unable to get a single offensive move in. Before she knew it, a bright purple curse was headed her way and she was unable to stop it. The spell sent her flying backwards and she crashed into the wall of Time-Turners. Hermione saw the flash of gold before she was falling through the air, unconscious.


	2. Chapter 1

_Hello again! Here is Chapter 1! Sorry this took me a while to get out, but work has been a little nuts. Luckily, I'm about to go on vacation, so I should have some writing moments where I can crank out this next chapter, as well as the next chapter to Dreams and Revelations – I am not making any promises though as I do have several family events to attend during this vacation period._

 _But enough of me talking about that – I also realized that I never told you who this pairing would be, nor did I tag the pairing. Welcome to my first James/Hermione fic._

 _Can someone please tell me what the ship name for this is? Hermes? Jamione? I'm not quite sure…_

 _Please read and review, I love hearing from y'all. Your words of encouragement help keep me going._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be Scottish, with reddish blonde hair, and my name would be JK Rowling (but it's definitely not)._

 **Chapter 1**

James Potter was so grateful that exams were finally over and that he could spend time with one of his best mates throwing a quaffle back and forth. The events of the other day between Snivellus and Evans still irked him, but he was much calmer now that there was more space between the three of them. No one should refer to someone by that…that word and they deserved every bad thing to happen to them if they said it to their supposed best friend. James knew that Evans must be hurting right now, so in a rare moment of maturity he'd made the conscious decision to be polite and mostly leave her alone.

"Oi!" Sirius yelled, bringing James back to reality. "Watch what you're doing mate! The ball fell to the ground, ya wanker."

James grinned sheepishly back at Sirius and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. Got lost in thought about the other day."

Sirius nodded solemnly, knowing that James wouldn't want a joke made out of it just yet. While that may have been Sirius' coping mechanism, he knew it had really upset James and that he had to work through it first.

"Listen, maybe it's something you could talk to your dad about once break begins? He might know what advice to give an all that."

James nodded, knowing there wasn't too much he could do about it now. "Sorry to get us distracted. Want to throw for a bit longer, then head back?"

"Works for me. Let me just grab the ball real quick," Sirius responded as he worked his way back to the ground to retrieve the quaffle.

Before Sirius could make it back up, a loud clap of thunder sounded and the two marauders looked up to see something falling from the sky. James' eyes grew wide as the object grew closer and he realized it was a person. He quickly shifted his broom, his chaser skills taking over, and maneuvered himself to be able to catch them. He could see Sirius out of the corner of his eye drop the ball and move under him, ready to help catch them if the added weight sent James down too.

Suddenly, James' arms caught the person, their long bushy hair flying into and covering his face momentarily. His brook sunk a bit, but Sirius' assistance was not needed. James pushed the hair out of his face and realized he was holding a girl around his age, dressed in strange clothes, even by muggle standards. For a moment, he thought her to be dead, but soon noticed her ragged breath as though she couldn't quite catch it.

Sirius flew up next to him. "Her wand fell as she landed, she's definitely magic."

"We need to get her to Poppy. She seems injured and is fully unconscious," James said in a no-nonsense voice as he slowly started to descend, being careful not to jostle her too much,

"Right, I'll grab Minnie, you get her to the Hospital Wing."

The two boys lowered themselves to the ground, but flew their brooms to the castle entrance in order to save time. As one, they ran up the stairs, Sirius holding both brooms and stopping at the third floor to get to McGonagall's office. James continued up to the fourth floor where the hospital wing was located. Luckily, the doors were already open and miraculously, the wing was empty of any students.

"Poppy!" James yelled as he bolted through the doors and headed straight for a bed.

"James Potter, you better have a good reason for just…" Madam Pomfrey cut herself off as she came out of her office and saw the young girl on the bed with James beside her. "Oh my goodness. Out of my way!" the mediwitch cried, brandishing her wand and beginning the diagnostic spells.

"James, quickly, I need you to get my rack of potions in front of my office. Did you alert any of the professors?"

"McGonagall is right behind me Poppy!" Sirius cried as he came through the doors. True to his word, Professor McGonagall followed him in moments later.

"Good. Good. Potions…I'm going to need…" the matron began muttering under her breath as her diagnostic spells began to reveal what happened. Her eyes grew wide as the girl's skin glowed red, then deep purple.

"Black!" she barked as she quickly started grabbing some potions off her cart. "I need you to go to Professor Slughorn and tell him that I need potions for a curse. Tell him he'll need to floo St. Mungo's and request them on my behalf if he needs to brew them, which he will. Specifically, we need potions for…" She paused, turning to look at the boy and her colleague, both of whom she knew would know this curse. " _Purpura Fulgur_."

Two pairs of eyes grew large and without a sound Sirius was running his way to the dungeons. James, also having heard of the curse thanks to his pureblood upbringing, dropped the girl's want to the floor in shock, reminding the two witches of his presence.

"James, I'll need you to remain with me." Pomfrey continued, going back to waving her wand administering potions. "While I do this, you need to tell us exactly what happened."

"Sirius and I were just tossing the quaffle back and forth on the Quidditch pitch, trying to destress from exams. Suddenly, we heard thunder, and then she was falling."

McGonagall looked stricken by the short tale. "Do you know her at all?" she asked, her mind trying to discover who she was and how she ended up here.

"No. She's definitely a witch, at least a half-blood. She's got muggle-looking clothes and this is her wand, we're pretty sure," he replied, picking up the vine-wood wand and handing it to his Head of House.

"Very well. Potter, you will stay here with Madam Pomfrey in case she needs assistance. I must go speak with the Headmaster about this." Leaving no room for discussion, McGonagall swept out of the Hospital Wing, closing the doors behind her.

After a few hours, Madam Pomfrey finally collapsed into a chair next to the girl's bed, James and Sirius in chairs opposite her. Sirius had returned after Slughorn provided him with the required potions from St. Mungo's, and a promise to immediately start brewing them himself. The young girl was still unconscious, and James knew it was very touch and go for a while, but if Madam Pomfrey's current reaction was anything to go by, the girl was going to be fine.

Moments later, the Hospital Wing doors opened revealing the Headmaster, followed by McGonagall.

"How is our young patient, Madam Pomfrey?" Professor Dumbledore asked as he approached the group.

"Better than a few hours ago. I've got her stabilized, but I've still no idea how she survived long enough to reach my care."

"It is very much a blessing that you are at Hogwarts Poppy. Many a student would be lost without you. Alas, I am afraid we won't receive any answers to our questions until she awakens," he replied before turning to the two boys. "We're also very lucky you two were where you were. Fifty points are awarded to each other of you for your bravery and assistance in this matter."

Both boys' mouths dropped open in shock at the amount they'd just won. Usually, they were losing that amount in a day and then making it up bit by bit, either in class or with Quidditch.

"Thank you Professor…" James managed to get out.

"Now, I do believe it is almost dinner time. I advise you both head down and eat." James and Sirius nodded, recognizing the polite dismissal and headed toward the doors.

"Potter. Black." McGonagall's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Do not share this with anyone. We don't need the whole school floating about with rumors."

The marauders nodded their heads in agreement, though both knew they were at least telling Wormtail and Moony. They left the Hospital Wing, conveniently leaving a door open, but rather than heading straight to dinner, both boys hid against a wall to listen to the adults.

"Any ideas Albus? I honestly cannot fathom why on earth this curse would be used, let alone on a young girl," they heard Pomfrey say. Both of them could hear how tired she was.

"Unfortunately, not much to go on. Mr. Ollivander did not recognize the wad, leading me to believe she might be international. However, the registrar updated, telling us we have a new student."

"How on earth is that possible Albus?"

"I'm not quite sure Minerva, though I do have some ideas. I shall have to research and explore them while we wait for our new student to awake."

"And just who is our new student?"

"Hermione Granger."


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello again! I hate having to delay getting these out to you lovelies, but I've been nonstop since my vacation a few weeks ago – it's been a nightmare! But here is chapter 2!_

 **Chapter 2**

It was the next day when Hermione first awoke, groaning in pain as she went. Opening her eyes, the harsh sunlight blinded her so she quickly closed them again. Her head was pounding slightly and she was in a bit of pain around her ribs.

 _I must have broken them_ , she thought to herself, as she began to reopen her eyes, more slowly this time so they could adjust. Using her hands, she could tell she was on a small bed, covered in blankets. She could feel bandages wrapped around her chest, her fingers gently rolling over them to confirm her theory of broken ribs.

"Woah there," a voice to her right said, so she turned her head towards the sound, only seeing a blob of black while her eyes still adjusted. "Madame Pomfrey says you need to be careful. Give me a moment and I'll grab her."

The blob moved away, presumably to grab the nurse. As her eyes finished adjusting, Hermione recognized the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. What happened? As her mind tried to think back, a boy and an older woman were coming over – a boy with messy black hair and Madam Pomfrey. Suddenly, the events before she woke up came rushing back to her.

"Harry!" she cried, though her voice was hoarse. "The ministry. What happened?"

Before he could give a response, the matron stepped between them. "Hush now young lady. You've been through something terrible and I must check your vitals." She began waving her want and tutting as she went. "Mr. Potter thank you for getting me. Now, will be so kind as to fetch the Headmaster? He asked to be notified when she woke." The boy nodded and ran off, but not before giving Hermione a final look. She glanced at him and realized something was different about Harry, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Now dear," the matron began as she continued casting spells on her body. "I have some potions you need to take to prevent the effects of the curse, but I need to ask a few questions first." Hermione nodded her consent as she looked at the familiar nurse's face, recognizing her immediately, but seeing something was different.

"Let's start with your name dear," Madame Pomfrey stated.

"Hermione Granger."

"Good. Hogwarts house?"

"Gryffindor."

"Today's date?"

"June 19th, 1996," Hermione stated, assuming she'd been out all night. The matron paused in her actions slightly, enough for Hermione to notice, before she continued as though nothing had happened. Hermione immediately became worried, but waited for the matron to say something.

Madame Pomfrey knew that there was something different about this girl, and the house and date questions confirmed it.

"Thank you dear. Luckily, it doesn't seem like you were concussed, so we just have to worry about the curse you got hit with. I apologize my dear, but these aren't going to taste very good and there are several."

Pomfrey summoned a large glass of water and began handing Hermione the potions, having her take a big gulp of water between them.

 _Madame Pomfrey wasn't lying_ , Hermione thought. _These taste atrocious_.

"Madame Pomfrey, what happened?" Hermione asked, once the potion-taking was complete.

"Best if we wait for the Headmaster my dear."

"No need Poppy. Minerva and I have arrived, and right on time it appears. How is our young patient?"

Hermione looked over to the doors and saw Dumbledore and McGonagall walking towards her, Harry right behind them.

"Harry!" she cried, attempting to get out of bed before Madam Pomfrey pushed her back. Harry was looking at her with a confused expression and as she looked back, she got the sense again that something was different about him.

"Thank you Potter. You may now go to lunch, as I believe it is starting. We don't want to overwhelm Ms. Granger," Professor McGonagall stated briskly, dismissing Harry. Hermione felt a pang of annoyance at her Head of House. Didn't she understand just why she needed to see Harry?

Harry nodded his head and left the Hospital Wing without complaint, something that worried Hermione. Harry wouldn't have just left, not without putting up a fight. She truly knew now that something was wrong and it was beginning to annoy her.

"Forgive me Professor, but what on earth is going on?" Hermione demanded as the Hospital Wing doors shut. Instead of immediately answering her, the adults moved closer to her bed and Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains around them. Dumbledore proceeded to cast a number of protective spells around them.

"Forgive me my dear. We can never be too careful with who might be listening. As to what is going on, I was hoping to start with the questions that Madam Pomfrey asked you when you awoke." Dumbledore said calmly.

Hermione raised a questioning brow at the headmaster, but she complied knowing that Dumbledore usually had a reason for everything. "Okay. My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a member of Gryffindor house and today is the 19th of June, 1996.

Both Dumbledore and McGonagall raised their eyebrows and gasped at her statement. Hermione looked at both of their faces, dumbfounded at their shock. As she did, she began to notice oddities with the professors. Both had fewer lines in their faces and McGonagall definitely had less gray in her hair. Even Dumbledore's beard was shorter than she'd last seen it.

Suddenly, the dots began connecting in her head. All three adults seemed surprised when she mentioned the date. Harry looked like Harry, but it was his eyes that were different; hazel, not green. And the unrecognizing looks on all of them when they looked at her. _The Time Room_ , she thought and her mouth dropped open, eyes wide. _I fell against the wall with the Time Turners when that spell hit me. Which means…_

"Professor. It's not 1996 is it?" she asked, praying that she was wrong in her guesses.

"My dear," Dumbledore started, and Hermione could tell by the look in his eyes she was right about her assumptions. "Today's date is the 19th of June…1976."

Hermione Granger. The name had stuck with James as he and Sirius had left the Hospital Wing yesterday afternoon. Who was this mystery girl? Where did she come from? For reasons unknown to him, he found himself going to check on her before lunch, and as he walked into the Hospital Wing, he saw the girl moving on the bed and groaning in pain. He quickly rushed over to her as she was feeling the bandages around her ribs.

"Woah there," he said and he watched her head move towards his voice, her eyes still closed. "Madame Pomfrey says you need to be careful. Give me a moment and I'll grab her."

Giving the girl no time to respond, James ran off into Pomfrey's office.

"Poppy! She's waking up!" The matron pushed up from her desk immediately and followed him out.

"Harry!" the girl cried, looking at him as he walked over to her. She looked at him with such familiarity, it was like she knew him. He was positive she didn't though. He'd never forget someone like her. "The ministry! What happened?"

"Hush now young lady. You've been through something terrible and I must check your vitals," Madame Pomfrey interrupted. James knew she was as confused as he and was saving him from saying something. "Mr. Potter, thank you for getting me. Now, will you please fetch the Headmaster? He asked to be notified when she woke."

James nodded to Poppy, knowing it best he leave before he'd have to answer the girl. He turned his gaze to her, still staring at him as if she knew him. He quickly left the Hospital Wing, running in search of the Headmaster. How did she think she knew him? She didn't flinch at all when Poppy used his surname.

Before James could think of it further, he walked around a corner and saw Dumbledore and McGonagall walking together.

"Potter. What on earth?" McGonagall asked, noticing his breathlessness from running.

"The girl in the Hospital Wing woke up. Madame Pomfrey told me to get Professor Dumbledore.

"Very well my dear boy. Lead on and we shall both accompany you," Dumbledore replied, getting right to the point. James was a bit confused as to why they wanted him to walk with them to the Hospital Wing, they certainly knew the way.

"Tell me what happened when she woke Mr. Potter," the headmaster requested.

"I just went in to check on her before lunch, and when I got there, she was feeling around her bandages. I immediately told to hold on and grabbed Madame Pomfrey. She called me Harry, as though she knew me and didn't seem surprised when Poppy used my last name. It was rather odd sir."

The headmaster did not answer James, but stroked his beard thoughtfully. James was still trying to figure out how she seemed to know him, but couldn't come up with any plausible answers. Before long, the trio reached the Hospital Wing, where the girl was speaking to Madame Pomfrey.

"No need Poppy. Minerva and I have arrived, and right on time it appears. How is our young patient?"

The girl looked over at them and seemed to brighten when her eyes clasped with James. In that moment, James noticed that she had big, dark brown eyes, the color of the chocolate he ate with Remus after a full moon. They were deep and James knew he could look into those eyes for a long time without wanting to stop. He cocked his head to the side and gave her a confused look again, unsure of how she was so comfortable around him and why he felt inclined to know her as she seemed to know him.

"Thank you Potter. You may now go to lunch, as I believe it is starting. We don't want to overwhelm Ms. Granger," Professor McGonagall stated briskly, dismissing James. He nodded and swiftly left the Hospital Wing even more confused than before and went to lunch.

When he arrived in the Great Hall, Sirius, Remus and Peter were waiting for him.

"There you are Prongs! How's the girl?" Sirius asked as James planted himself next to him.

"She's awake, which is good. Miraculous really since we found her yesterday."

"Did she say anything?" Remus asked, curious about the mystery girl his fellow marauders told him about.

"Yeah. It was really strange. I'll tell you about it in the dormitory later."

The boys nodded and picked up the previous conversation and enjoyed their lunch break.

"So let me get this straight," Hermione started, rubbing the temples of her head after all of the information she had just ingested. "I got sent back to 1976 for unknown reasons because a spell knocked me into many Time Turners, thereby putting me at Hogwarts, rather than the Ministry of Magic. And since Time is not a circle, or a straight line that cannot be altered, I'm stuck here before the future I know, my future, is gone."

About two hours had passed since she woke up and found out that she was twenty years in the past. Throughout that time, she explained her life up until the last thing she remembered. Her muggle parents, Harry, Voldemort, everything. Dumbledore, in turn, explained how there was no way to send her back. All that was left now was to determine how to handle the situation.

"I'm afraid so my dear," Dumbledore replied, kindness in his eyes as he patted her knee consolingly. Hermione felt her breath quicken and her chest tighten as the information fully sunk in. It just couldn't be true. What about Harry? Ron? Everyone? How could they just be gone?

"Ms. Granger. Look at me," Professor McGonagall lifted her chin and looked her straight in the eyes. "You need to breathe in and out. Watch me."

The older witch took her through the breathing technique for a few minutes before Hermione had calmed down enough to take a small Calming Drought.

"Hermione, I know this is going to be a terrible time for you and I want you to know that we will all do what we can to help you adjust."

"Thank you Professor," Hermione replied looking at McGonagall with admiration in her eyes. "You always knew how to make me feel better. I looked up to you out of everyone in the wizarding world in my time."

"It pleases me to know that," McGonagall said with a smile. _How much this young girl must be going through right now, it's a wonder that she's handling it as well as she is right now._

"I hate to get into this right now, but unfortunately it seems like you've made a friend Ms. Granger," Dumbledore started, a twinkle in his eye as she slightly blushed. "James Potter and Sirius Black are the two boys who found you yesterday afternoon. I've heard from Professor McGonagall here that they were asking about you in class this morning and as you know Mr. Potter wanted to check on you himself."

"I am so sorry for making such a fool of myself. But he looks exactly like his son…" Hermione's eyes began filling with tears at the thought of her brother in all but blood. She quickly dashed them away, this was not the time to get upset. She'd have time for that later and she needed a cover story.

"I can imagine. Now, do you happen to speak French at all my dear?" At Hermione's nod, he clapped his hands together. "Perfect. Then we can simply say that you are a late transfer student from Beauxbatons. You will, of course, need to retake your OWL exams, I wish that could be helped, but your education is paramount."

"That won't be a problem sir. I can actually do that soon as I just completed them…or will. This time thing is rather confusing." Hermione admitted, with a light blush. "It was easy third year, because I was only going back at most two or three hours."

"Completely understandable my dear. And of course, you will not be taking those exams until Madame Pomfrey clears you from the Hospital Wing. Minerva, are you able to accept her into Gryffindor house and create an OWL schedule for her?" McGonagall nodded already thinking ahead. "Wonderful. I have an idea about where to place you for the summer holidays as well, since unfortunately we cannot keep you at Hogwarts. I will owl the family immediately and see if they will take you in."

"Who Professor?" Hermione asked Dumbledore, curious as to who they would put her with.

"I must check with the family first and I shall let you know. Now, I do believe Madame Pomfrey wishes you to rest, so we shall leave you be for now." Dumbledore stood up from his spot on Hermione's bed and pushed the curtains away.

"She should be ready to be discharged around dinner Albus," Madame Pomfrey confirmed. "However, you will need to report to me every morning at nine for your daily potions, earlier if a class or exam schedule conflicts. Should only be another few days of potion though."

"Thank you very much, Madame Pomfrey. Now Ms. Granger, we take our leave of you."

"I'll have an OWLs schedule for you tomorrow morning Hermione. If Madame Pomfrey permits, I can set up a bed for you in Gryffindor tower for this evening," McGonagall said. Hermione nodded weakly, tiredness creeping up on her. "Very well. I'll send someone right before dinner to fetch you. You will need a guide around the castle, even if you know it so well."

"Of course Professor. Thank you again."

"You're very welcome." And with that, Dumbledore and McGonagall left, and Madame Pomfrey was pushing her back down in the bed and tucking blankets around her.

"Now dearie, you need to sleep for at least a few more hours, then relax in bed and change prior to dinner, if there is time. No fuss please. You've had a very long afternoon and have taken in too much information."

Hermione could only nod as her eyes closed of their own accord and she fell into sleep once again.


	4. Chapter 3

_2 Chapters in one week?! It's a miracle! As a matter of fact, I've had a lot of free time at work these past few days and I was just able to crank this out. If we're lucky, I might even been able to finish chapter 4 by the end of the holiday._

 _Without further ado, Chapter 3!_

 **Chapter 3**

"Potter! Mr. Lupin!" James heard his name called by McGonagall as he walked out of History of Magic.

"Yes Professor?" Remus responded, having a feeling this was either about a prank or prefect duties.

"Follow me to my office please," McGonagall stated before turning around and briskly making her way to the third floor.

The two boys shared a look and scurried off after her, leaving Sirius and Peter behind to go back to the tower. They learned early on at Hogwarts that if she called you, only you went with her.

"What is this about, Professor?" Remus asked as she shut her office door behind them. Gesturing to the seats in front of her desk, she sat across from them and folded her hands on her desk.

"As I am sure you are aware, Mr. Lupin, we have an unexpected guest with us who will officially be transferring to Hogwarts."

James' face brightened as he realized she was referring to the girl in the hospital wing.

"Her name is Hermione Granger, and is a transfer from Beauxbatons. Unfortunately, I am unable to disclose any details regarding her arrival, other than this. Her family was attacked by dark wizards and her whole family perished. Potter, she lost her brother, Harry, whom she says looks very much like yourself."

"She has no other family?" James asked, astounded and angry at the dark wizards who took them from her.

"Unfortunately not. Now, Ms. Granger has been sorted into Gryffindor house and will be joining your year. She will not be attending classes with you, however, as we are asking her to take her OWLs. Beauxbatons does not test like us until sixth year, however Ms. Granger assures me she is prepared."

"What do you need us to do Professor?" Remus asked, wanting to prove himself a prefect always.

"Since you are a Gryffindor prefect Mr. Lupin, I am assigning Ms. Granger to you. Assist her around the castle, revise with her if necessary. I will also need you to ensure she meets Madame Pomfrey every morning until further notice. I will write you a pass for your classes if it is necessary."

Remus nodded in affirmation, but James was contemplative. Why would McGonagall ask for him as well? He wasn't a prefect, only on the Quidditch team.

"Professor, why was I asked to come if you needed a prefect?" James asked bluntly. McGonagall gave him a caring smile before she responded.

"I though since you've been so worried about her, you would like to assist Mr. Lupin in his duties."

"But, wouldn't I just cause her pain, looking like her brother?" James inquired, a solemn look on his face.

McGonagall seemed surprised for a moment at the depth of his understanding and his wish to not cause the young girl more pain.

"You are correct. However, she believes – and Madame Pomfrey and I agree – that being around you as often as possible would help the pain ease. While you look like him, you are not the same and the differences matter." James nodded slowly, but still didn't seem convinced, so she added, "In addition, your nature, along with the natures of Misters Lupin, Black and Pettigrew, is to bring joy and happiness to others' lives, even if it may be at the disregard of others, which I wholly do not support. I believe your friendship would benefit Ms. Granger and prevent her from falling into a deep depressive state."

McGonagall could see the change in James' eyes as he understood her request. The hazel eyes became determined. _A true Gryffindor_ , she thought to herself. _Never backs down from a challenge_. Her gaze shifted to his companion, one of Minerva's favorite students (which she would vehemently deny would anyone ask). His eyes help the same determination as James', but she could also see the compassion within the deep blue. _Remus_ , she thought, _would ensure she had a companion to match her interests and intellect, as well as perhaps becoming a shoulder for her. James, on the other hand, would be her cheering charm, and could too become a confidant_.

Minerva knew the four Marauders would be good for her, as well as the fifth year girls. While they would never fully replace her original friends, Minerva was sure they would be close substitutes.

"When should we go get her Professor?" Remus inquired.

"You may go now. Please take her to the tower first, show her around, then straight to dinner." The two boys nodded and stood up, ready to leave. "Oh and boys? Try not to get her involved in your shenanigans." McGonagall gave a stern look to James specifically, who in response smiled widely.

"Wouldn't dream of it Minnie," he replied, winking before leaving the office. Remus gave their Head of House an apologetic look and followed after his fellow Marauder.

Hermione sat back down on her hospital bed after changing into the clothes the Headmaster had brought her. She held her wand in her hand, grateful it followed her back so she did not have to get a new one. As she sat, waiting for someone to fetch her, she thought about her conversation with the Headmaster.

 _"Ah! You are awake. My timing seems to be perfect today," Dumbledore said as he walked through the Hospital Wing doors._

 _Hermione had just woken up and Madame Pomfrey was checking her vitals and making her take more potions._

 _"Hello Professor," she replied._

 _"I've brought with me an extra uniform, complete with Gryffindor colors and tie. Unfortunately, it is only the one, however if you could provide me your basic measurements, I will send an owl to Madame Malkins and order you a few more for the rest of the year."_

 _"But Professor," Hermione protested. "I haven't any money. As far as I am aware, nothing following me through. I don't even have a wand. "_

 _"Fret not young lady. Your wand did follow you. I was keeping it in my office until you awoke. I've brought it with me here." He produced her vine wood want and presented it to Hermione, who immediately grasped it. The warmth of her magic and another piece of familiarity filled her. Finally, something in this time felt completely right._

 _"As to the uniform, do not worry about money. Hogwarts has an orphan fund to assist with basic necessities. I will request that Madame Malkin provide you other clothing and toiletry necessities," Dumbledore continued kindly._

 _"Thank you sir," Hermione replied, taking the proffered parchment and quickly jotting down her sizes and items she would need. She honestly hadn't thought of any of that, not that anyone could blame her._

 _"You're quite welcome dear. Now, I've written to the family I hope will take you in. They will be coming to the school tomorrow after your exam. I will send someone to get you and bring you to my office."_

 _"Can you tell me who the family is, sir?" Hermione asked, curious as to who it could be?_

 _"Yes, but I ask you to tell no one else for now. There is still a change they may say no, however I don't believe they will. I've conducted quite a nice background for you and I believe Lyall and Hope Lupin will accept it and you. You knew Remus in your future, and that he is a werewolf. I've explained to them that your father was himself a werewolf, so you have experience taking care of them after a full moon. I expect this to be their reservation, having to take care of two different children, one of whom is a wolf once a month. However, your, shall we say experience, should ease that."_

 _"Of course Professor."_

 _"Wonderful. Now, I shall leave you to get dressed. I believe your escorts to Gryffindor Tower and the Great Hall should be arriving soon."_

Now Hermione was twirling her wand around her fingers, ready to be up and in a sort of normal schedule again. Beside her was a reminder from Madame Pomfrey regarding her potions schedule, which she placed carefully in the pocket of her robes.

Before long, the Hospital Wing doors opened again and Hermione's heard leapt into her throat. Walking towards her was the mirror image of her best friend, though now she was paying attention, she could see a few differences. The eyes were the most notable, other than the missing scar. Harry's eyes were a bright green, whereas James Potter's were hazel. They reminded Hermione of a forest, mostly brown trees with green foliage at the edges. When he got closer, she could see the flecks of the blue sky that pulled her in and she quickly had to tear her own eyes away in order to avoid sinking in.

James Potter's hair was as unkempt as his son's, and just as black. However, his face was rounder and his glasses were square rather than circular.

Next to him was a young Remus Lupin. Hermione's heart soared at seeing another familiar face, younger and less scarred than the one in her timeline. His dirty blonde hair was more unkempt, fitting fir the sixteen-year-old Marauder. His smile was exactly the same, still kind and caring and contagious. Hermione found herself grinning back at him before she remembered she had a role to play.

"James Potter at your service, my lady," Harry's doppelganger said, introducing himself with a slight bow. Hermione found herself giggling at his antics and returned a small curtsy.

"Remus Lupin," continued his comrade, holding out a hand for Hermione to shake.

"Hello. I'm Hermione Granger, but I'm sure Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall told you that."

"She did. She also gave us some information regarding your sudden transfer," her future – _past_ – professor replied. "I'm sorry about your family."

Hermione's face fell at the reminder of her lost parents and friends.

"Yes. Thank you. It will definitely be a challenge." She looked James in the eye, "I'm terribly sorry about earlier. I'm not sure if anyone explained, but…"

James cut her off before she could continue. "Don't fret about it. McGonagall told me and it's completely understandable."

She nodded her thanks, but kept quiet. Refusing to let the air thicken with awkward tensions, James continued speaking and grabbed her hand, tucking her arm into his.

"Now, we are your escorts around this lovely castle. We're all in Gryffindor house, and all in the same year, so you officially have friends."

James began leading Hermione out of the wing, Remus following behind them, when Madame Pomfrey emerged from her office.

"No mischief Potter! Ms. Granger is still healing and should do nothing strenuous. Straight to the tower, then to dinner. Understood?"

"Crystal clear Poppy!" James called back as he'd refused to stop when the matron spoke. Hermione was speechless that he dared to call an adult by their first name. She looked back at Remus who gave her a shrug before the three were suddenly in the corridor.

"Welcome Hermione, to Hogwarts."

James and Remus showed her all the parts of the castle they could on the way up to the tower. Remus explained the Houses and some of the history of the castle. James decided he would tell her the better things.

"There is where we dyed Mrs. Norris' fur blue. Filch couldn't get it undone for days until Minnie helped him. Trust me when I say there is nothing threatening about a blue cat."

"Here is where Sirius and I pranked Snivellus for the first time. I'll point him out to you at dinner. Greasy git."

"This is where I dared Sirius to ask McGonagall to the Winter Ball back in third year. Oh her face!"

They arrived at the tower in no time, where they were able to introduce Peter and Sirius. When they entered the Common Room, Sirius had immediately bowed and kissed the back of Hermione's hand as he introduced himself. James was shocked to find that it bothered him that Sirius was laying the charm on thick, but he couldn't decipher why.

Hermione had flinched slightly when Peter was introduced, but she quickly masked it and smiled at him. James found that off, but dismissed it. He wanted to focus on why she knew his last name, but he decided to worry about it later since he didn't want to overwhelm her.

After the introductions and a quick tour of the tower, the small group left for the Great Hall, continuing to show Hermione new things, pointing out prank spots and even a secret passage they came across. They came up to the Hall and Hermione seemed to falter, her eyes taking on worry. James pulled them to a stop and took both of her hands.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes," she replied, her chocolate eyes showing quite the opposite. "I guess I'm a little afraid of all the attention that will be directed towards me."

"There's nothing for you to worry about. Yes, they'll stare, and probably whisper, but just pretend they're whispering about us Marauders. They do it all the time, so it's quite plausible," James responded, giving her a crooked smile.

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before she looked back at him with a small smile on her face. At her nod, the group walked through the doors of the Hall. As she predicted, many heads turned to look at the group while they made their way over to the Gryffindor table. The boys spotted their female counterparts and moved to sit with them so they could acquaint Hermione with her new roommates.

"What do you want, Black?" one of the girls asked with venom in her voice as Sirius sat next to her.

"Calm down Marly. We've brought you a new friend," he replied as he filled his plate.

James and Hermione sat down across from him and James saw Marlene roll her eyes before looking over at them.

"Don't call me that Black. And just who are you? You're not in Gryffindor."

"Marlene!" the mousy brown-haired girl next to her admonished. "There's no need to be rude!" The girl shifted her gaze to Hermione and gave a bright smile. 'Hi. I'm Alice Fawley. The cantankerous git next to me is Marlene McKinnon.

"Hermione Granger," Hermione responded and shook Alice's hand. "Pleasure to meet you both."

James watched as Hermione introduced herself and tried to not let Marlene's attitude get to her. James squeezed her hand under the table in encouragement, but was soon distracted as auburn hair and bright green eyes sat next to Alice.

Lily Evans. The girl he'd been in love with since first year. Not only was she one of the most beautiful witches he'd ever met, but she was also fiery and could pull off a sophisticated prank. While she didn't do it often, but when she did James wanted to press a large kiss on her lips, if only he wasn't the one she pranked.

"Hey Hermione," Peter asked from the other side of James. "If you're from France, how come you have a British accent?"

James was pulled back into the conversation when Remus, next to Sirius, threw a bread roll at Peter, which bounced onto James.

"Peter. You can't just ask people why they're British," Remus admonished.

"It's alright Remus. Actually Peter, my family is originally from England. We moved to France when I was still in muggle primary school. That's when we got a visit from one of the Beauxbatons professors about me being magic."

"I didn't realize you were muggleborn. Why did you transfer to Hogwarts?"

"Well…my family was attacked by Dark Wizards, and since I'm originally from England, the French ministry sent me back here. Dumbledore is working on finding me a host family."

Alice nodded solemnly, Lily reached out for Hermione's hand in compassion, but Marlene decided she wasn't satisfied.

"How come you know Black and Potter before the rest of us then? Why weren't we told about a Gryffindor fifth year transfer?"

"Sirius and I actually found her at the front gates and took her to Dumbledore," James replied, deciding to be vague about the state in which they found her.

Hermione's eyes showed him gratitude so he once again squeezed her hand under the table in support. However, when she squeezed back, James felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his arm. Hermione must have felt it as well, for she withdrew her hand and a blush rose up her cheeks. James thought the rose color was pretty on her face, but he was dragged away from it when Moony kicked him under the table, giving him an odd look. James shook his head and jumped into the conversation Peter and Sirius were having, leaving Hermione to talk with her new roommates. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but until her did, he was going to ignore it.


	5. Chapter 4

_I humbly ask for your apologies lovelies. I'm going to try and do better, but I can't promise anything since we all know how that usually works out. I'm going to *try* to start getting this and_ Dreams and Revelations _out on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule (probably bi-weekly, let's be real)._

 _But anyway…onto Chapter 4! This has Remus' perspective instead of James'. I think I'm going to do at least one chapter where her POV is mixed with each Marauder at one point. So not all in row, but I will probably mix it up a bit._

 _Sorry not sorry for the super long chapter, but I wanted to fit all this in at once…_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own HP but I enjoy immersing myself in the world…_

 **Chapter 4**

Hermione rolled her shoulders as she completed her History of Magic O.W.L. for the second time in the past two weeks. At least, her past two weeks. She was surprised at how little the written exam had changed over the last twenty years, but it did remind her that she needed to be careful about her knowledge. While neither of these exams had any information past 1950, she knew strides had been made in every other field and she would need to filter that knowledge.

 _Good thing the exams are in the mornings,_ she thought as she made her way out of the extra classroom. _It gives me time to revise for the other subjects in the afternoons so I don't accidently use unknown knowledge._

Hermione sat on the floor outside the room, waiting for someone to come fetch her. She hated pretending to not know the castle, but she needed to keep her cover. The previous few evenings, she had to be very careful about how she acted or spoke to someone. She caught herself about to innocently flirt back at Sirius, just like they used to at Grimmauld Place, several times before she stopped herself.

It had been harder than she thought, meeting people she knew as adults, people she knew as dead, and people she knew as insane, in Alice's case. She hadn't noticed it at first, but when Alice mentioned her sixth-almost-seventh year boyfriend Frank, all Hermione could see was Neville's eyes. When she met Frank in the common room that first evening, it took all of her willpower not to cry at Neville's face. She thought she had pulled out okay, but she'd caught Remus and James sharing a look, but they didn't say anything about it.

After her initial greetings though, the rest of the evening went by rather well. The girls left the boys rather quickly to show Hermione her new room. They found an additional bed with a trunk at its end, a note for Hermione at the top. Hermione was happy with her new dorm mates. They included her in their conversation (something Parvarti and Lavender never did) and she found Marlene to be quite nice, especially after their earlier meeting. Alice had asked about the circumstances of her transfer and Hermione found that she didn't necessarily enjoy lying to them, but she knew she couldn't very well tell them the truth.

The next two days had shown similar routines, which made sense since everyone else had a pre-established schedule. She'd spend her mornings taking an O.W.L., followed by studying in the common room since no one could (or would in Sirius' case) take her to the library. So far, she'd completed her Herbology and Astronomy written exams, and the previous evening, she'd also completed the Astronomy practical. It was definitely different from the first time she took it; not only the questions asked, but also the fact that no one had tried to attack Hagrid and Professor McGonagall did not end up at St. Mungos.

"Hermione!" a voice called, bringing her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw Remus Lupin walking towards her, a smile on his face. It still shocked her to see how much younger he was, even though she'd been in the past for over a few days now.

"Hi Remus," she said, getting up from her perch to greet him. "Are you my escort this afternoon?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Dumbledore sent me a note asking to see us after our exam. Then I wanted to see if you would mind going to the library for a bit? I could help you revise for your next test?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes! I was wondering when I'd get to go there. The library at Beauxbatons was one of my favorite spots!" Remus smiled at her before they started on their way to the Headmaster's office.

"So," he started after a bit of quiet. "How do you think your first few exams went?"

"Oh well enough I suppose. I just finished History of Magic and I could have added more about the Goblin Revolts but there wasn't enough time after completing the Werewolf Code of Conduct section. I wanted to be as detailed I could there." Hermione watched as Remus stiffened slightly, so slight hardly anyone would have noticed. Hermione had decided to mention the very true exam question in part to see his reaction and also to prepare for the meeting they were about to have.

"I thought that was a British only thing. How would you know about it?" he asked, trying to seem nonchalant. He always grew nervous any time anyone other than his fellow marauders talked to him about werewolves.

"We study magical history from a worldly perspective at Beauxbatons, not just French history. Plus, when we studied werewolf history, my professor thought it prudent to teach us _all_ werewolf history, so we could understand the bigotry. Werewolf laws in France are much better than they are here, in my opinion."

Remus was shocked into silence. Other countries were more tolerant of werewolves? Why? And how? Before he even had a chance to ask her aloud, they had arrived at the gargoyle standing guard for Dumbledore's office.

"Caramel Cobwebs," Remus said to the gargoyle, who immediately jumped to the side, allowing them access to the staircase.

Before Remus could knock on the giant door, a quiet "Enter" was heard and the door opened of its own accord. Walking in, Remus saw that Professor Dumbledore was not alone.

"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?" he asked his parents, who were seated in two chairs across from Dumbledore, with two more empty next to them.

"Ah! Ms. Granger. Mr. Lupin. Please, sit. Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore began, not giving the Lupins a chance to answer. The two young teens shook their heads as they sat in the empty chairs. Remus, who was very confused, snuck looks at the occupants in the room. Professor Dumbledore appeared as he normally did, a twinkle in his eye and a gentle smile on his face. His parents seemed thoughtful, as though they were both internally debating something. Hermione was the most curious of the entire party, shifting in her seat and biting her bottom lip nervously. _What on earth could she possibly be nervous about,_ he thought.

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin are already aware of why we are all here, and I shall now inform you both. As you know, young Mr. Lupin, Ms. Granger was brought to Hogwarts after a terrible accident that has left her without a family. Her previous school, Beauxbatons, had a grandmother in England on record, however she is unable to care for Ms. Granger. As such, Ms. Granger has decided to remain here to be close to her only living family. However, she is in need of a home for the holidays, while Hogwarts is closed." Dumbledore paused here to let the story sink into the two young people before continuing. "And so, I have asked your parents Mr. Lupin if they would be willing to house Ms. Granger for the remainder of her education."

Remus' eyes grew large at this and frantically, he whipped his head to his parents, both of whom now had sad, empathetic smiles on their faces. Remus found this rather strange as he knew his father to be a slightly awkward man, and yet, he looked at the girl with compassion and, a sort of understanding in his eyes. For Remus' mother, on the other hand, this was completely normal behavior and he was surprised that she was not more emotional about the situation.

 _Dumbledore did say that they already knew why they were here…maybe they've had time to absorb the information_.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, my dear girl," Remus' mother spoke first, her voice gentle and full of concern. "My name is Hope, and this is my husband, Lyall."

"Pleasure to meet you both," replied Hermione in a small voice that seemed to waiver with apprehension.

"You as well young one. Now, Professor, you already know our main concerns regarding this, however I believe my wife and I have decided that we will do as you ask," Lyall spoke next, gripping his wife's hand and speaking to Dumbledore with full confidence that confused Remus even more.

"But what about my…" Remus started loudly before realizing what he was about to say. He quickly closed his mouth and inwardly cursed the impatience he seemed to have picked up from his fellow marauders.

"You mean your lycanthropy?" Hermione asked. Remus' mouth dropped open in shock at her quiet question, unable to comprehend how this girl, who had only known him for a few days, had figured it out. He turned his wide eyes to her and she only responded with a knowing smile.

"I recognize the signs very easily, so you don't have to worry that you gave anything away. Not only have I done a great deal of research, as I mentioned to you earlier, but I actually grew up around a werewolf for most of my life." Hermione paused here, a sad look quickly flitting into her eyes before she pushed it away and determination replaced it. "As a matter of fact, my father was a werewolf."

Dumbledore let the silence hold for a moment before he decided to continue her tale. "Her father was turned after Hermione and her brother were born and were already in France. Due to this, Hermione is very well versed in how to be around and how to handle a werewolf and would, dare I say, be a great help to all three of you."

Remus heard his parents ask the Headmaster a few follow up questions, but what they were asking he couldn't say. Instead, his brain pushed the voices to the back of his head, mere white noise, as the wolf woke up inside of him. He locked eyes with Hermione, who held his gaze unwaveringly. He thought for a moment that it was too dangerous for her to look at him like that, as a challenge to the wolf, but the thought was brief because suddenly Mooney was controlling his thoughts.

Mooney looked at the girl with the caramel eyes who seemed to be looking through the human's eyes to him. He growled lightly at her, internally as the human had more control over the physical body this far from the moon. She continued to hold his gaze, unflinching and be began to sniff the air, using the human as his vessel. Her sweet, honeysuckle smell wafted through his nostrils, and Mooney discovered that he quite liked the scent. He brought his pack's scent to the forefront of his mind and found that the honeysuckle mixed in perfectly with the smells of the forest, dewed grass and the pinewood of the Shrieking Shack. Mooney determine a fragrance was still missing, however this was enough to pacify now and the wolf shrunk himself back and gave control over to the human.

Remus' mind cleared, though he remembered every thought the wolf had had. This had only happened one other time and it stuck Remus to the core at how quickly his alter ego (as it were) accepted this witch so quickly. Another knowing smile graced Hermione's lips and Remus tipped his head to the side in question, unsure of what it could mean.

"Your wolf accepted my scent as pack just now, didn't he?" she asked.

He nodded, vaguely aware the adults had stopped talking and were paying the two young teens close attention. "How did you know?"

"My father's face was very similar when his wolf first recognized me. I was young, but I remember like it was yesterday. The only difference was his eyes were blue when the wolf was upfront, not amber."

"That settles it then," Hope spoke, reminding the two that they were not alone in the office. "Hermione, you'll be joining Remus when you get off the train at the end of term. I hope you like muggle things dear, as we have a very mixed household."

"Yes ma'am. My mum was actually a muggle, so I grew up with mostly muggle teachings."

"Perfect! I'm a muggle as well, so we'll get along fantastically."

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "I'm so glad we were able to settle that. Now, I know Ms. Granger still needs to revise for her O.W.L.s and I'm sure you both have other things to accomplish this afternoon, so you are more than welcome to floo directly from my office, rather than walk all the way to the front gate."

"Thank you Dumbledore. I do indeed need to return to work," Lyall replied and stood up from his chair. "We'll see you both at the end of the term. We'll be waiting at Kings Cross." Lyall quickly gave Remus a hug and provided a light smile for Hermione before turning to the fireplace.

Hope, on the other hand, pulled both children into a group hug and kissed the tops of their heads. "Both of you take care the rest of the term. I know it's only another two weeks, but still. Hermione, best of luck on your exams and if you need anything, don't hesitate to owl me. Remus has an owl here at the school you can use to write."

And soon, both the Lupin parents were gone. Dumbledore stood up from behind his desk and spoke to the two teenagers. "Now that is decided, I do have a last bit of business for Ms. Granger. Would you mind waiting outside for us, Mr. Lupin? I will sent her back down momentarily.

Remus nodded his head, still in a shock that someone knew his secret and wasn't fazed by it. In fact, she'd been raised by a werewolf and a muggle, something he never thought would have ever happened. As he left Dumbledore's office, Remus fought the urge to eavesdrop (another trait from his fellow marauders, intensified by his wolf) and made his way back down the stairs. He was so focused in his thoughts that he ran right into Peter, who was standing at the gargoyle entrance. Beside him were James and Sirius, the latter of whom was holding the map in his hands.

"Mooney!" Sirius cried, clearing the map while James helped Peter off the ground.

"Sorry Wormtail. I should have paid better attention."

"You're alright Mooney. It was no big deal," the smallest marauder replied.

"Saw you and Granger got called to Dumbledore's, so we wanted to make sure everything was okay. What happened?" Prongs asked.

"Well…" Remus started, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "We er…got called in because…well…turns out Hermione and I will be living together. My parents have agreed to bring her home with us for the holidays and breaks."

The three boys across from him were silent for a moment before they began blurting out several questions and statements all at once. Even with his advanced hearing, Remus found it difficult to understand who was asking what. The boys only grew silent when the gargoyle behind them closed with a snap and Hermione came up to them.

"Yes, Peter, I will be moving in with Remus and his family as I am staying at Hogwarts. Yes, Sirius, I'm aware of his," here, Hermione used air quotes, "'furry little problem,' as you put it. And no James, I am not one, but my father was, so I know them quite well."

The three boys stared at her, their eyes wide as they took in what she said. Remus, having finally accepted her knowing about his problem, was more shocked that she could discern what they had each said.

"How did you do that?" he asked incredulously. Hermione looked at him with another smile.

"Actually, I'm rather used to having to listen to multiple voices and work around them. My friends at school were very loud and…obnoxious, people. Much like these three."

Remus gave a laugh, Sirius spluttered at her words and tried to dissuade her of that particular opinion, while James and Peter were still staring at her with wide eyes. Hermione ignored all of it and simply gave them all a sharp nod.

"Now, if that's all, Remus has promised to finally show me the library, something Black here has refused to do." She gave a short glare to Sirius, who just smiled at her in his sweet, attempting-to-smolder way, before she turned to Remus expectantly. Remus returned her smile and offered his arm to her and was ready to lead the way when a voice interrupted.

"If you're from France, why do you have a British accent?" Peter blurted out, causing Hermione and Remus to turn back to him. Remus closed his eyes with embarrassment, Sirius groaned aloud, but James smacked him upside the head.

"Wormtail! You can't just ask people why they're British," he admonished, giving Hermione an apologetic look for his unthinking friend.

Hermione giggled at the exchange but smiled at the now blushing marauder. "It's alright Peter. A perfectly understandable question and to be quite honest, I'm surprised no one else has asked. My mum and dad were originally from England. Harry and I were born here, but dad got a job with the French ministry of magic. We moved there when I was about five, I believe, and it wasn't too much longer after that dad got attacked. Mum wanted us to move back home, but we knew dad wouldn't be able to. Soon, Harry and I received our letters from Beauxbatons, and we decided to stay, only coming occasionally to visit my mum's mum."

Hermione's voice took a sad tone at the end and her face fell towards the floor. On the outside, it would seem as though she were remembering these events as they happened, but internally, Hermione was remembering her lost friends and family, stuck in only her memory now. When she had talked about her 'parents' earlier, she had decided to base her father's lycanthropy off of her experiences with Remus. She was mostly telling the truth earlier when Mooney accepted her as pact. Older Remus' face had looked exactly the same, the previous summer when she had moved into Grimmauld Place.

After Dumbledore told her of his desire to place her with the Lupins, Hermione had started coming up with as much of a backstory as she could, basing most of her experiences off of Remus, Harry and some of her upbringing. Luckily, after her third year she had decided to research werewolves in greater depth and in fourth year, with the Triwizard Tournament, she had researched other schools in different countries. The knowledge was coming in great handy, though she could safely say she never thought she'd use it like this.

Hermione was brought out of her musings when Remus's hand found hers, gripping it in a silent support. Sirius placed his hand with Remus' and gave her a caring smile, something that looked so right on this young face, but was foreign to her eyes. James, on the other hand had shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder in return. It was Peter, however, who shocked her the most.

He stared at her for a moment, seemingly lost with no idea how to react, before suddenly began searching his pockets. At last, he pulled something out of his cloak, half a chocolate bar with a Honeydukes' wrapper. He broke a piece off and held it up to Hermione, a smile on his face.

As she looked between him and the chocolate, Hermione had trouble remembering why she had kept her distance from him in the first place. He seemed so young and innocent here, not at all like the man she knew in her future. The man she knew was weak and helpless, a coward who didn't deserve to be in Gryffindor. The young boy in front of her, however, was offering comfort to a girl he'd known less than a week and from what she had seen so far, seemed happy with his chosen group of friends.

Hermione realized that she was at a crossroads. Did she trust her knowledge of the future and continue to not trust young Peter Pettigrew? Or did she try to change what happens to him? Does she try to keep him on the side of light and protect these four boys who have become so close to her over the past few days?

Hermione made up her mind and accepted the chocolate, popping it into her mouth immediately and smiling at Peter in thanks.


End file.
